IMPHAL, March 24: In a gruesome incident, the Youth Affairs and Sports, (YAS) minister’ son shot death a youth during Yaoshang festival on March 20 in between Ghari and Malom, under Singjamei Police station.
The victim has been identified as one Irom Rozer Singh, 21, son of Irom Lokendro Singh of Wangkhei Angom Leikai.
The accused has been identified as one N Ajay Singh, 27, son of N. Biren of Luwangshangbam Mamang Leikai.
According to reports Irom Roger, an under graduate student studying in Bangalore, was driving with his friends in a Hyundai I-20 at Ghari area in the afternoon around 2 pm when without any warning five youths including N. Ajay Singh who were in a Bolero overtook the car and shot at Roger from close range and fled from the scene.
The bullet hit Roger on the neck and exited on the other side killing him on the spot.
In this connection a written complaint was lodge at the Singjamei Police station by the father of the victim.
Father of the accused assailant, YAS minister, N Biren, when contacted said soon as he heard of the incident, he and his younger brother Boi rounded up all the five boys in the Bolero including his son, Ajay, and handed them over to the police.
He said the weapon used was licensed to his son so was the Bolero registered in his son’s name.
Ajay has also confessed to the crime as perpetrated by him with a license gun registered in his name.
An M-20 pistol along with 6 live rounds and the Bolero used during the crime were also surrendered to the police. Further the police also recovered one spent case of M-20 pistol bullet from the incident spot.
Meanwhile, a Joint Action Committee against the killing was also formed the following day of the incident.
The infuriated JAC while condemning the incident had raised a charter of demands which included resignation of the YAS minister for in-competency and also death sentence to the culprit and not to issue gun license to minors. The JAC also mounted pressure on the government by decalring that the lifeless body of the victim will not be claimed until the demands are fulfilled.
However on March 22 the JAC and family members claimed the body of Roger and consigned it to flames.
The convenor of the JAC, A. Boby Singh, said the body was taken after the chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh almost complied with their demands.
According to the deceased father, as far as his knowledge was concern his son had no past enmity with Ajay and that the incident was triggered owing to the issue over right of way along the road.
On the other hand the court concerned remanded the accused along with his four accomplices to police custody.
The District Magistrate (Imphal East) had clamped indefinite prohibitory orders under CrPC in the district as pre-emptive measures.
A detail statement was also presented by the Chief Minister of Manipur on the floor of the house following a point of order raised by senior opposition MLA, O. Joy Singh, on March 21.
The chief minister said that State police department is taking further investigation of the case to bring it to its logical solution, and all culprits will be punished as per the rules of law and there is no question of concealing the case.
The chief minister while giving his reply mentioned in the house that, on March 20 father of the deceased Irom Lokendro Singh of Wangkhei Angom Leikai submitted a compliant in writing to the O/C Singjamei PS at about 2.45 pm that his son Irom Rojer Singh, 21 was fired upon by some unknown miscreants numbering about 4/5 coming in a Bolero Jeep Black in colour bearing registration No. 2417 at about 2 pm of March 20. At that time, the deceased Rojer was proceeding towards Imphal Airport along Tiddim road along with his four other associates on a I-20 car bearing registration No. NM-01W/7482 and the firing took place near Ghari opposite to the Girls Hostel. The firing was carried out without any provocation or reason, and Rojer sustained serious bullet injuries on his neck and succumbed to the injury on the way to the hospital, the complaint Lokendro mentioned, said the Chief Minister in the house.
He further mentioned that, on the basis of the said written complaint, a case was registered at Singjamei PS under FIR No. 131(3)2011 under section 302/34 IPC and 27 Arms Act. It is also mentioned that at the time of incident, four persons identified as Gurumayum Bidyachandra Sharma, 19, son of G Borjen Sharma of Thangmeiband Hijam Dewan Leikai, Thokchom Hiyairen Singh, 18, son of Th Homi Singh of Keishampat Thokchom Leikai, Laithangbam Robert Singh, 19, son of late L Ronal Singh of Uripok Sorbon Thingel and Nongthombam Rashbihari Singh, 19, son of N Manichandra Singh of Thangmeiband Meisnam Laikei were travelling with the late Rojer Singh.
He also mentioned that the investigation of the case was taken up by Th. Vikramjit Singh, SDPO/Singjamei under direct supervision of SP, Imphal West. Examination of the four persons who had accompanied the victim Rojer Singh brought out that the Black colour bolero had black tinted glass. It was known that IFCD minister Nongthombam Biren Singh has such a Bolero. It was also revealed by Bidyachandra one of the companions of late Rojer an eye witness of the incident that one of the occupants of the Black Bolero was known to him, and he identified that person to be one Thongam Anilkumar alias Dhurba, 27, son of late Th Ashokumar of Thangmeiband Meisnam Leikai. Police carried out raid at the residence of Anilkumar Singh, he was however, not found there. Police could find his location to be somewhere at Luwangshangbam near Liberal College through mobile interceptor. It was also established that the registration number of the Black Bolero belonging to Minister N Biren Singh is NM-3P/2417. This also matched with the registration number noted by the eye-witnesses. It was also established that Nongthombam Ajay Singh, 27, son of Minister N Biren of Luwangshangbam Mamang Leikai was using the said Bolero along with the four friends identified as Thongam Anilkumar alias Dhurba Singh, 27, son of late Th Ashokumar Singh of Thangmeiband Meisnam Leikai, Bachaspatimayum Roshnikumar Sharma, 29, son of B Rajbihari Sharama of Brahmapur Thangapat Mapal, Puyam Sidhartha Singh, 26, son of P Biren Singh of Singjamei Mayengbam Leikai and Soram Raj Singh, 27 s/o S Nabakumar Singh of Nagamapal Soram Leikai.
The Chief Minister further revealed in the house that, minister N Biren Singh was requested to help the police trace his son Ajay along with his four friends and allow to examine them in connection with the incident. At the wee hours of March 21, N Ajay s/o minister Biren along with four friends surrendered to SDPO Singjamei Th, Vikramjit Singh, and N Ajay admitted to the commission of crime with one M-20 pistol, and he also stated that the pistol is a licensed gun in his name and also surrendered the pistol with six live rounds and the Bolero used in the commission of the crime.
Police has caused arrest of five accused and the pistol and Bolero vehicle used in the commission of the crime have been taken into police custody, police also recovered one empty fire case of M-20 round from the spot and police is taking further investigation of the case to bring it to its logical conclusion and there is no question of sparing the accuses by the state government even if the main accused is son of a cabinet minister of the state, Chief minister clarified in the house.
On the other hand the family members of the deceased has in a press conference today decried reports publish in some news papers “Decan Herald” “The Tribune”. The family revealed that the reports of personal enmity and blame as reported by the two newspapers are baseless and false report.
The family did not compromise their son’s life with money adding the only reason for accepting the body was to give proper rites and ritual before redemption.
During the conference the family has also appealed to CSOs and other civil organization to extend their co-operation in bringing out justice to the incident.